Laura's Journal
by Quill N. Inque
Summary: X23 chronicles her experiences after coming to live at the Xavier Institute. COMPLETE AND REVISED!
1. Arrival

Laura's Journal

An X-Men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own X-Men.

Chapter 1

The Professor says I should write down my feelings in this journal to help me adjust to living at the Institute. Almost _**everything**_ here confuses me. For example, Logan, my self-appointed "father", got angry during a "Teamwork Exercise" he called "football". Apparently, the rules of the game say you can't jump from tree to tree to score a point. How was I supposed to know that? I had the target, I was being pursued, and I took the easiest path of evasion. But maybe I should start from the beginning.

I wasn't technically born. I was the brainchild of an international criminal and terrorist organization known as HYDRA. I was grown from a test tube, and cloned from the DNA of Wolverine, alias Logan, alias Weapon X. HYDRA created me to be the perfect assassin and trained me in killing, espionage and stealth, all the while seeking to erase my emotions and free will. To test my healing factor, the experimented on me and tortured me to see how fast I would heal from various injuries, like the time I was doused with gasoline and set on fire. And I killed for them. Many times.

When I was around eight, I was subjected to what HYDRA termed, "The Procedure", which coated my skeleton and retractable claws in unbreakable and super-sharp adamantium. The pain was indescribable. I still have nightmares about it.

But despite their best efforts, the sadists at HYDRA failed to extinguish my humanity, and after several failed attempts, I eventually escaped. That was when I met Logan for the first time.

Working for HYDRA, I went up against many, many enemies, human and mutant.

But Logan was, and is, the only person I have ever feared.

And I blamed him for what I was, for what I had gone through over the years. When he reached out to me, I turned him down, even though he's the closest thing I have to a relative of any kind.

That was a year ago. I spent that particular year freezing my ass off in the Canadian mountains.

Then he found me again, despite my best efforts, and again he offered to take me back with him. This time, I stopped and thought about it. What would it be like to be a "teenager"? To go to school? Was it even possible for me to fit in? What if Logan was lying?

I thought that last one was unlikely. Logan may be an enormous ass, but he keeps his word, _that_ much I'm sure of. Besides, I figured that the prospect of free room and board, with three guaranteed meals a day, was worth the risk. The next thing I knew, Logan had whisked me onto a flight and flown back to Pennsylvania, where the Institute was located. It seemed like only minutes had passed before I was standing nervously in front of the imposing-looking building I would soon call home.

Logan beckoned for me to enter the spacious dwelling. "Well, c'mon. Chuck's expectin' ya."

I assumed that "Chuck" was Logan's nickname for Charles Xavier, a telepath of enormous ability and one of the most powerful mutants on Earth. I stepped inside, claws at the ready, poised to confront….

A balding man in a wheelchair?

He certainly didn't fit the mental description I'd had of him.

The Professor gestured toward one of the chairs in front of him. "Please, sit down."

I sat. I was too nervous not to comply.

"First, let me welcome you to the Xavier Institute for Gifted Young People. My name is-"

"Professor Charles Xavier, alias Professor X, telepath, height five foot ten, age 43, eye color brown, leading mutant rights activist," I said automatically and without thinking.

The Professor cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "It appears that she's done her homework, Logan."

"What can I say? She takes after her father," replied Wolverine with a smirk.

"I don't have a biological father." I stated matter-of-factly. "I am a clone."

Logan came right over to me and knelt so we were at eye level. "Kid, you can be as specific as ya damn well want, but you share my DNA, and as far as I'm concerned that makes you my kid." His voice softened so only I could hear him. "I want to be there for you. I went through the same things you did, and I didn't have nobody to help me get my life back on track.

There was an awkward silence until Logan asked, "What's yer name gonna be? Won't do for everyone to keep callin' ya X23 all the time. It's gotta be somethin' with an L, though..."

"Laura." I said after a momentary review of the fake names I'd used while on the run. "I want to be called Laura."

The Professor smiled. "What a fine name for an extraordinary young woman. Logan will show you where your room is."

"Awwww, look at Logan, acting all paternal," commented a tall man with red glasses as we rounded the corner. I recognized him instantly. Scott Nathaniel Summers, alias Cyclops, his power was the ability to shoot beams of energy from his eyes.

Logan's claws extended with a "snikt" and he got right in Summers' face.

"Listen, four eyes, if ya wanna keep the ability to father yer _own_ children, ya better mind yer own damn business," he snarled as Cyclops quailed visibly.

Walking back over to me as if nothing had happened, he pointed up the staircase. "Yer room's down the hall and to the right, third door on the left." He leaned in closer. "An' if any o' these knuckleheads give ya trouble, lemme know an' I'll sort it out."

I couldn't help grinning at the thought of things Logan would do to those people in order to"sort it out". I climbed up the stairway slowly, with a caution borne of necessity, but no sooner had I turned the corner when I ran into a blue, furry….thing. Instantly I had my claws out, and I barely managed to stop myself from eviscerating him purely from force of habit.

His golden eyes widened at the sight of the metal protruding from my hands and feet. "Vhoa! High strung much? Seriously, you need to- Hey… I remember you! You're the von who broke into the mansion last year!"

I cringed inwardly. It seemed everyone still held a grudge against me for that...unfortunate misunderstanding.

Blue-Thing's voice brightened. "My name's Kurt Wagner. What's yours?"

"X- I mean, L-Laura. Laura Logan," I stuttered. I was beginning to feel funny. My heart started pounding in my chest, and my face began to feel hot, to say nothing of the fluttery feeling in my stomach. What the hell was wrong with me? I'd never felt so…._off_ before. I'd never gotten sick, either, due to my healing factor.

"Are you okay? Your vace is red." Kurt looked at me with a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine. Um...Can you help me find my room?" I felt like such an idiot.

Kurt smiled. His canines were unusually sharp and long, a feature I instantly liked. "Sure. Right this vay. Vhere did the Professor say it vas?"

I tried to remember. I really did. But I couldn't. Which, by the way, should have been impossible, given my photographic memory. Maybe his mutant ability projected an aura that messed with the thought process. It was the only possible explanation.

"I...don't remember," I said somewhat guiltily.

"Don't sveat it. I forget stuff all ze time!"

After a few false starts, Kurt and I finally managed to locate the small room that had been set aside for me. Since I didn't have any luggage, I made a note of where it was and decided to look around the mansion, in order to memorize possible escape routes and emergency exits. Such information could prove vital, should HYDRA find me here. And that was assuming HYDRA even existed anymore. I smiled at that thought. After all, I was the one who had ensured that Madame Hydra and most her cronies had met a fiery demise aboard their airship over the Canadian wilderness.

My nose twitched. There were so many different scents here, and not all of them were pleasant. The thought of scents made my stomach growl, and I was reminded that I hadn't eaten since Logan and I left Canada. My increased metabolism requires an abnormally large food intake, but Logan just called it a "teenage thing". Anyway, I quickly picked up the smell of food and made a beeline toward the kitchen.

Except that when I got there, I found out I wasn't in the kitchen. My nose had led me to a large room dominated by a plasma screen TV, which several other students were looking at with dazed expressions, as if hypnotized. Drinks of every sort littered tabletops and counters, and plates of food were sitting on the coffee table. I tried to back out, knowing I was in unfamiliar territory, but then Kurt spotted me as I was almost through the door.

"Laura! Wait, Laura, vhere are you going?"

It was like his voice was a catalyst or something; as soon as I heard it, I struggled to get my brain and mouth to connect. "Um…."

"Don't be shy! Ve're all friends here! Hey, everyone, come and meet Logan's mini-me!" Grabbing my hand, with his three furry fingers, he gently pulled me back inside.

I had to stop myself from gasping. The moment his warm skin made contact with mine, it felt like electricity was going up my arm. My face felt hot again, and my legs became shaky; I thought I was going to pass out. The fluttery feeling had returned in my stomach, too. I immediately concluded that I was infected with some kind of deadly disease. Why else would I feel like that?

A girl about my age, with brown hair lighter than mine, stepped forward. "Hey! I'm Kitty. We've all been, like, totally excited about meeting you!"

Now I remembered her: Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, her power was the ability to phase through solid objects. The fact that she was glad to see me after what I did was astonishing. "Why?" I asked simply.

" 'Cause we care about what happens to our friends," commented an older girl with a strong Southern accent. "Ah'm Rogue, bah the way."

_Friends_. I had friends, real friends, and I hadn't even been here for a full day. I hadn't done anything to endear myself to them, quite the opposite, and yet they welcomed me with open arms. Tears began to leak out of the corners of my eyes, and I fled the room.

"What's with her?" I heard Kitty say. "Did we do something to offend her?"

"Nah. She just feels overwhelmed." Said Rogue. "In a few hours, she's gotten a father, friends, a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in, none of which she's ever had before. She's not sad, she's happy."

Outside the doorway, I was amazed that Rogue could understand what I was feeling so accurately. Maybe her background was similar to mine. Sniffling and wiping my eyes, I reentered the room and did my best to smile.

"So, what's your name?" asked Kitty.

"Laura Logan," I replied proudly, glad for a chance to use it. However, my interest in the conversation was lost when I was reacquainted with all that food beside her. I dashed forward and started eating, stuffing as much food into my mouth as I could.

"Um…You're supposed to use the plates," said Kitty.

"And forks," added Bobby Drake, unmistakable in his ice-covered form.

"Why?" I asked, confused. I'd never needed such things before. Why start now?

Kurt thought for a moment. "It's just etiquette. Think ov it as a social norm. Don't worry about it, though," he continued cheerfully, showing me those canines. "I'm sure you'll get ze hang ov it before long."

"Wanna try your hand at Donkey Kong?" Rogue asked, gesturing toward a game controller.

"What is 'Donkey Kong?"

They all looked at me with horror, and I thought for a moment that I'd done something to offend them. Kurt patted the floor beside him. "I'll show you," he said, flashing those canines at me again.

I picked up the console hesitantly. "What do I do?"

Kurt winked a yellow-gold eye at me. "Vatch me first," he said. "Then you try."

Apparently, the buttons on the controller have a corresponding action to the character on-screen, especially if you press them in a certain order. I especially loved the combo that lets you throw the TNT barrels. This "Donkey Kong", I concluded, was some kind of training exercise meant to challenge one's dexterity. But it was also, as Kurt put it, "a lot of fun."

It was over an hour later that I crawled into bed. I was tired, but in a good way. The moment I hit the pillow, I was sound asleep.

And for the first time, I didn't have any nightmares.


	2. Adjustments

Laura's Journal

An X-Men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque.

I do not own X-men.

Chapter 2

Logan strode briskly into my room and flicked on the lights. "Rise and shine, Laura. Breakfast is downstairs."

I rolled over and told him to go do something anatomically impossible.

"Well…okay. If that's how it is…" he sighed.

I was almost asleep again when a sheet of ice cold water was thrown over me. Instantly awake, I sprang up, claws extended, and found my "father" grinning and holding an empty bucket.

"What did you do that for?" I yelled, outraged.

"I wanted to teach ya a lesson," he replied, still wearing that stupid grin on his face. "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell ya to get up."

I looked forlornly at my sodden sheets. "Don't worry, they'll dry out before ya know it," Logan said, reading my expression. "Now I suggest you get some breakfast before Kurt devours it all. That kid's a bottomless pit. An' this comin' from me."

"Okay…okay…" I muttered as I began to strip off the pajamas Kitty had loaned me.

"Whoa! Whoa! Could ya at least wait 'till I'm out of the room to start changing?" Logan said while looking away.

I was confused. Modesty had never been a problem before. It certainly wasn't a concern in the Canadian wilderness. This must be another part of that "etiquette" thing Kurt told me about.

"Speaking of clothes, I brought ya these," Wolverine said as he tossed a bundle of pants and shirts onto the floor. "They should do 'till I can get ya some clothes that fit." He strode out, leaving me to change. The clothes weren't tailored to fit, but they would suffice for now.

A few minutes later, I nervously stepped into the kitchen and almost fainted. So much food….There were sausage links and scrambled eggs, and a kind of potato mash I heard someone call "hashbrowns" and toast with butter and six kinds of jelly. It was noisy, too, because everyone was talking at once, a kind of chaos that made everyone feel at home.

"Laura! Over here! I saved you a seat!" cried Kurt over the din, which was impressive given the extraordinary level of noise.

Sitting down next to him, I suddenly became aware of how close his hands were to mine. I frowned. Why notice such a thing? It wasn't important, merely an insignificant detail that had nothing to do with the situation at hand. I resolved to talk to Logan about this, concluding that since he was almost my genetic double, he must be experiencing the same things. Then Kitty handed me a plate pile high with food, and all such thoughts were forgotten.

Cyclops choked on his orange juice. "Holy crap! Look at her go! I don't think even Kurt puts that much food away!"

I ignored him and began to attack my scrambled eggs, which someone had loaded with bits of meat. That made it even better. _Everything's_ better with meat.

I continued to eat well after everyone else had left the table, until I finally sat back and let out a satisfied belch. Then I remembered Kurt telling me that such a thing was not "appropriate" at mealtimes.

So many damn rules, all this "etiquette" crap that everyone but me seemed to instinctively know. It makes everything so much harder than it has to be. Resolving to find Logan, I finished stuffing myself and left the kitchen, my nose twitching as it homed in on his scent.

He wasn't hard to find. After all, Logan smells like sweat, leather, and alcohol. Even in a house this big, I was able to track "Dad" easily; a blind mole with one nostril would be able to find him. He was sitting in the living room, watching some kind of game with big men in helmets who tackle each other almost constantly. Logan cursed when a buzzer sounded, then spoke to me without turning around.

"Need somethin'? I heard ya comin' a mile away."

I sat down on the couch next to him. It felt….comforting somehow, having him near me, like I was protected.

I got straight to the point. "I think I'm dying."

_That _got his attention. Logan bolted upright and choked on his beer. "W-What?" he asked, his eyes wide with worry and concern. _He does care, _I thought silently.

"Yes. And I want to know if you've been experiencing the same symptoms as well, since you _are_ almost identical to me in genetic makeup."

Wolverine closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "Okay…so what, exactly, is wrong?"

"It's weird. The symptoms only occur when I am in close proximity with Kurt."

Logan leaned back, a knowing look growing on his face. "Oh? What kind of 'symptoms'?"

I counted them off on my fingers. "My face begins to feel hot. I get a weird sensation in my stomach. My legs begin to shake. I start stuttering. And my thought process becomes severely inhibited."

Wolverine stared at me for a minute. And then he doubled over, laughing so hard his face resembled an overripe tomato.

Logan, the infamous Weapon X? _LAUGHING?_ It seemed unthinkable.

Wiping tears of merriment from his eyes, Logan caught his breath and patted me on the shoulder. "Well, the good news is, yer not dying, or sick. I guess, in retrospect, I shoulda seen this comin'. I mean, you're still human, after all. If you hadn't spent the past year hiding, it woulda happened sooner. Yer fifteen, right?"

I nodded.

"Then yer _way_ past overdue. I'm not good with these sorts o' things, but here's my advice. Go find Jean or Kitty, and tell 'em what ya just told me. I'm gonna go have a talk with the elf…" Quaffing the rest of his beer in a single gulp, he marched out of the living.

I nodded and left the living room somewhat exasperated for not having received a straight answer. Luckily, I ran into Kitty on the way up to my room. Grabbing her roughly by the arm, I pulled her aside.

"Like, what's your deal? Let go!" she exclaimed, more out of surprise than anger.

I released her and whispered hoarsely, "I need your help. I think something's wrong with me."

"Really? What?"

I repeated, word for word, what I had told Logan.

An amused look crossed her face. "Aw, you, like, poor thing! Don't worry, I know _exactly _what's going on."

"Which is….?"

"You've got a serious crush! On Kurt! He's not exactly my type, but he _is_ kind of attractive, when you think about it…"

I stared. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Hey, it happens to everyone. It's just happening to you a little later than everyone else. My advice? Follow your heart, because I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

I blinked. "Really?"

Kitty looked at me pityingly. You _are_ new at this, aren't you? Why do you think he saved a seat next to _him_ at breakfast this morning? Why did _you_ choose to sit next to him when there were so many other spots available? And why he was so willing to help you find your room? He's been looking forward to meeting you for, like, _ever_!"

"He was just being nice," I replied. "And I chose to sit next to him because that seat was closest."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "You are so in denial. Tell you what, instead of denying your feelings, why don't you try _talking_ to him and we'll see what happens, 'kay?"

And then she left, leaving me standing in the hallway with an utterly bewildered expression on my face.

Still grappling with the tornado of emotions inside my head, I was heading toward my room to do some thinking when my enhanced hearing picked up the sound of raised voices, one of which I instantly recognized.

"_You better quit sniffing 'round my daughter, d'ya hear me, elf?_"

"Vait- I- Logan-" that was Kurt's voice.

"STAY AWAY FROM 'ER, HEAR? SHE'S INNOCENT AND I MEAN TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!" Logan thundered.

I moved out of the way as Nightcrawler appeared with a puff of smoke outside the room. So _that _was his power. Teleportation.

"Are you okay, Kurt?" I asked, suddenly and inexplicably overcome with concern for his well-being.

Kurt had an expression of utter terror on his face. "Logan just yelled at me. I think that vas the most frightening experience ov my entire life."

I was suddenly unsure of myself. Again. "I'll try and talk to him…he's blown this way out of proportion," I muttered.

"Blown vat out ov proportion?" he asked.

"Nothing!" I answered quickly as my cheeks heated up again. _Was what Kitty said true? Do I have a…crush? Was that even possible, for someone like me? This "normal" stuff is so confusing._

"Oh…okay." Kurt sounded disappointed.

It was at that moment that Professor Xavier's voice echoed through my head.

"_Laura, would you come to my office for just a moment, please?"_


	3. Conflicts

An X-men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own X-Men.

Chapter 3

"_Laura could you come to my office for just a moment, please?" _

The telepathic voice of the Professor echoed inside my head. They were going to ask me to leave, I was sure of it! I knew it seemed too good to be true! Setting off down the hall, I walked as if I was wading through waist-deep mud.

In his office, the Professor was waiting for me, and so was Logan. I must _have_ really screwed up if he was there as well.

Logan glanced at me as I entered, fully expecting the worst. The Professor smiled warmly at me. _That's just to sugar-coat the bad news. _I thought.

"Laura, it has come to my attention-" the Professor began, but I cut him off.

"I know, I know, I'll go get my stuff," I said, heading toward the door.

He looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're asking me to leave, right?" My tone was morose.

Logan interjected. "Kid, if we wanted you gone, you'd be gone by now."

"Indeed. I merely wanted to inform you that you'll be starting school on Monday. Given your high IQ and photographic memory, I feel that you're more than ready."

I blanched. From what Kitty and Kurt had told me, "school" sounded almost as savage and cutthroat as HYDRA. "But-"

Logan scowled. "No buts, half-pint. Yer gonna get a damn education and yer gonna like it. No kid of of mine's gonna go through life as a vagrant."

"I'm not your kid."

"These papers say otherwise."

"What papers?"

"These." He handed me a few important-looking documents. I scanned them briefly.

"ADOPTION papers?"

"Mm-hm. And as yer legal guardian, I got the right to gitcha an education. Somethin'_ I_ never got to have, by the way."

He glared at me. I glared right back. Then the professor cleared his throat and said, "Don't worry, Laura. I've arranged for you to have someone from the Institute help you through your first day. I'm sure Kurt would volunteer," he added subtly.

That comment made me remember something. I glared at Logan again and growled, "Why were you yelling at Kurt? He didn't do anything! You really scared him!" I was surprised to find myself getting angrier. I wasn't used to feeling concern for others, due to HYDRA's attempted brainwashing. Maybe this had to do with the "crush" Kitty mentioned earlier.

"Watch me not care. Yer not allowed to date 'till yer my age."

I snorted. "So I'll be able to 'date' when I'm a hundred and fifty?" _What _is_ a date, anyway?_

Logan's eyes widened. "Why you little- GO TO YOUR ROOM!" he yelled.

"MAKE ME, OLD MAN!" I yelled back, extending my claws.

Logan's face turned purple and a vein began to pulse in his eyelid.

"Fine. I was on my way out, anyway." I walked out of the office without so much as a glance at him.

"She's a clone of you, all right," commented the Professor mildly.

"Shaddup."

I fumed silently as I stormed down the hall. _He had no reason to scare him! And I DON'T need _him_ to protect me! AAARGH! He is such an enormous JERK! And what does he mean by "dating"? It can't be _that_ big of a deal!_

I decided to take an extra-difficult session in the Danger Room to blow off steam. Breaking things always makes me feel better. Anticipating tearing a robot apart, I sprinted as I turned the corner…..

And collided with Kurt, who had his head buried in a book.

He didn't see me coming until it was too late, and I ended up underneath him. It was like being under a hot fur coat. And he was _heavy_.

My eyesight swam, my heart thudded a frenzied drumbeat inside my ribs, and my stomach felt queasy. As my vision cleared, I realized Kurt's golden pupils were inches away from mine.

I felt like I was being hypnotized. I couldn't tear my gaze away from his, and the scary part was that I wasn't even sure if I wanted to. After a few moments, I managed to find my voice.

"Kurt?"

"_Ja_?"

"Could you get off me now?"

His face instantly turned a furious red, and he scrambled to help me up. "I'm so sorry, Laura. I vas studying for a test in Biology, and I vasn't vatching vere I vas going. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No…I'm fine," I mumbled, still a little disoriented. "I was on my way to the Danger Room."

"Here, I know a shortcut!" Kurt said with a grin. He held out his three-fingered, furry hand. "Grab onto me."

I held onto his arm, and the world instantly vanished in a puff of smoke. I had the sensation of being squeezed into a pipe and pulled out the other end, and just as it became unbearable, we reappeared a second later in front of the Danger Room's solid steel door. As I went to open it, I found a note taped to the handle in Logan's untidy scrawl.

_Pipsqueak,_

_You're banned from the Danger Room._

_Logan_

Kurt grimaced. "Ooh, zat's harsh."

I gritted my teeth. "I'm going to kill him. How I am I suppose to train now?"

"Vat'd you do to get grounded?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I got mad at him for yelling at you earlier."

"Really? Zat's it?"

"Whaddaya mean, 'that's it'?"

Kurt shrugged. "Vell, look at it vrom his point ov view. You're ze closest zing he has to a biological family. He iz only trying to keep you safe, but I'll admit zat he's being a little overprotective. He's only doing zis because he cares, in his own odd vay."

I had never considered that before. "Kurt?"

"Hmm?"

"I feel…weird. Bad weird." And it was true. I had this clenching, slightly nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.

He laughed. "I zink vat you're feeling iz guilt,_ fraulein_. You should go talk to him."

"Yeah. Okay." And I left him without another word, resolved to do just that.

I found Logan working himself to death in the weight training room. I approached him cautiously. "Logan?"

He put down the large dumbbell he was lifting and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Yeah, whaddaya want? Come to make fun of a decrepit old man?"

That comment felt like the time one of the HYDRA guards decided to see how many knives he could fit in my rib cage. "I just wanted to…apologize…for how I acted," I said, remembering Kurt's advice. "I know you're just trying to…protect me and stuff…But aren't you're going a little bit overboard? With yelling at Kurt and all?"

Logan sighed. "Maybe I _was_ a little bit hard on the elf, and everyone has to grow up sometime. If ya wanna date Blueboy, then go ahead. Just make damn sure he treats ya right, okay? And if he starts gettin' fleshy with ya, I swear to God I'll eviscerate him."

"Fleshy?"

He groaned. "Let's not go there right now. And one more thing…"

"What?"

"Yer still grounded."

"Dammit…"


	4. The Jungle

Laura's Journal

An X-men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

Chapter 4

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the shrill beeping woke me up. I instantly came alert, and with my claws unsheathed, I turned around and almost cut my alarm clock into three pieces. Grumbling to myself, I walked into the bathroom and stripped off my pajamas, almost scalding myself when I stepped into the shower. Why would anyone take a bath with hot water? I usually just bathed in a stream or river, and in Canada they're always cold. But after my momentary shock, I discovered that hot showers were enjoyable once you got used to them. I could feel my muscles relaxing and I began to feel warm and sleepy. However, the peacefulness was shattered when I remembered.

Today I started school.

From what I'd heard, it sounded like that nature documentary I watched with Logan last night, with each animal eating the other animals, all fighting savagely for survival. If Logan cared about me so much, why would he send me to such a place? _Hypocrite,_ I thought as I stepped out of the shower.

I wasn't scared, I was just a little nervous. But since Logan the Tyrant _insisted_ that I go, and since I wanted to have my Danger Room "privileges" returned to me as soon as possible, I had no choice but to comply. And if someone tried to eat me, I'd simply kill them. Not that I _enjoyed_ killing in the first place. I never have, even when I was working for HYDRA. Some part of me they never managed to destroy _always_ hated it. But when it comes to survival, I've learned that it's either you or the other guy.

And _my_ survival takes first priority.

I opened my closet and debated on what to wear. If I was going to survive in "school" I needed an outfit that would blend in with my surroundings, like a chameleon. Most of the schools I'd seen in Canada had been made of brick or concrete, usually gray or black. With that in mind, I picked out a gray short-sleeve shirt, black cargo pants with lots of pockets, and white tennis shoes. I hated the shoes as soon as I put them on. They were terrible for kicking in, and they'd be destroyed once I deployed the claws in my feet. Tossing them aside, I put on my old, battered combat boots and headed downstairs to breakfast.

Kitty looked at me with an expression of horror. "Like, you can't go to school looking like that!"

"Why not? From what you've told me, it's dangerous there. And if I'm going to survive I need to blend in with my surroundings." I told her seriously.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kurt, who had surreptitiously stolen the seat next to me.

So I filled them in on the nature program I saw and how I planned to get through my first day. When I finished, the two of them glanced at each other and started laughing.

"Why are you laughing? This is serious! I need to ensure that I have the best odds of surviving!" I said, shocked at their nonchalant approach to their own lives. Now that I thought about it, it was amazing they had both lasted this long. Kurt could teleport, of course, but I thought Kitty would've been devoured almost instantly.

"Laura, it's not _that_ bad. You don't need to blend in. And the other students _certainly_ don't eat each other! There are laws against that sort of thing," said Kitty as she composed herself.

"Voe betide anyone who'd try to eat _Laura_," Kurt snickered. "Besides, I'll be vith you almost ze entire time." Striking a noble pose, he added with a comically deepened voice, "I'll protect you!"

My face began to heat up like a damned furnace_ again_ while Kitty said thoughtfully, "I wonder if that guy in my math class is gonna ask me out on a date… He's been looking at me when he thinks I'm not paying attention, and he's _cute_."

I finally cracked and asked, "What's a date?"

Kurt shrugged."Vell, there's no solid definition, but basically it's when a guy and a girl go out somewhere in order to know each other better."

I nodded. "So, it's a social outing with the sole purpose of becoming familiar with a member of the opposite sex?"

Kitty sighed. "You've gotta stop being so…_analytical _all the time. You need to learn to listen to your heart as well as your brain."

Logan stomped over with a giant scowl on his face, which I assumed was his general state of existence. "You got thirty seconds to get in the car before I make you walk to school." As abruptly as he arrived, he turned on his heel and was gone.

Kitty gasped. "_Logan's _driving us?"

Bobby groaned. "We're all _doomed_!"

As Logan's car drove away from the school parking lot, I decided that you didn't need to be mentally stable in order to have a driver's license. I could still feel my heart pounding from that hairpin turn. Or maybe it was because Kurt was standing right next to me.

"Vell, vat do you think?" he asked.

I looked the campus over thoroughly and replied, "I think my choice of colors was off."

And it was true. Instead of concrete or gray brick, Bayville High was built of bricks the color of those fire trucks I'd seen on the way back from the airport when I first arrived. Looking down at myself, clad in gray and black, I resolved to wear an outfit more suited to this scenery tomorrow.

Kurt laughed. "Don't vorry, I think you look just fine!" He smiled at me, but I didn't get to see the canines I was so found of. Apparently, Kurt wore some kind of image inducer to school in order to avoid exposing his true appearance, stating that many of his fellow students were prejudiced against mutants and revealing what himself would be like "painting a giant target on my back". Thus, he attended class masquerading as a mutant with a human appearance. I found that I liked his blue, furry form much better.

Shifting my shoulders to make my cumbersome backpack more comfortable, I stepped through the doors to attend my first day of class. I looked at the schedule Logan had given me. From what I saw, I had my classes in the same order everyday: World History, Biology, and Math, followed by a lunch break, with English my last class of the day. I looked over Kurt's shoulder and discovered, to my startling dismay, that his schedule was nothing like mine.

"Kurt, we have different schedules."

"_Ja_, so?"

"How are you going to 'show me the ropes' if we're not in the same class?"

Kurt smiled again. It seemed like he was always smiling. "I'll show you vere your classes are if you need me to, and ve can eat lunch together vith the others."

"Oh." _That doesn't sound _too_ bad, _I thought.

Glancing at my sheet, I found the room number for my first lesson. The room itself wasn't hard to find. It was three doors down from where I was standing. Entering quietly, I sat down at an empty desk, but I'd scarcely gotten comfortable heard something whistling toward me. Instinctively, I tilted my head and caught the projectile, a piece of paper wadded into a ball. Unaware of the consternation I'd caused, I tossed it away and began reading the first chapter in the textbook, out of sheer boredom, about an ancient people called "Romans". I especially enjoyed the insert about Julius Caesar's military campaigns against the "Gauls", whoever they were. _If someone like that was leading HYDRA, they'd be running the entire planet by now,_ I thought. I became engrossed in the text and became tuned out to what was going on around me, so obviously I didn't hear the tall guy approach my desk until he snapped my book shut and snatched it away. I jumped, and apparently everyone else thought it was hilarious. The guy, almost a foot taller than me with the build of a gorilla, spoke as if he was addressing something foul and noxious.

"You're a mutie, aren't ya? One of the new freaks from that school?" Apparently he had the I.Q. of a gorilla, as well.

"A what?" _Mutie_ wasn't a term I'd heard before.

"A mutant," he spat, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. "One o' those genetic abominations that keep popping up everywhere."

"Yes. I am." I replied politely as I restrained the urge to rip his arrogant throat out. "I'd like my book back, please."

"Why don't ya use your freakish _powers_ and take it back?"

_Ooooh_, the temptation. But Logan had warned me that using my powers at school would result in something called, "expulsion", which I assumed wasn't a good thing. So I needed to think of a way to get my book back without hideously maiming him. After a split-second mental debate, I decided to appeal to his baser instincts. I pointed toward the door and said, "That cheerleader just dropped her skirt."

"WHERE?"

While he was distracted, I lunged forward and tore the book from his grasp, to the hysteria of everyone else. I guess some people will laugh at anything.

I sat down at my desk again, putting my book inside my backpack as a precaution against it being swiped again. The jerk's face was red with embarrassment, and I figured he'd come gunning for me sooner or later. It didn't trouble me much. After all, I'd faced enemies infinitely more dangerous than him.

I didn't enjoy Biology much. We had to dissect a frog corpse, which obviously brought back memories of my experiences with HYDRA. It got to the point where I had to step outside for the rest of the period.

Math was a lot better. The problems were easy; why did everyone need calculators? I was able to complete the assignment in less than fifteen minutes.

By the time lunch came around, I was beginning to think I'd die of hunger. I've said before that my healing factor requires me to eat almost constantly, and I had gone without a bite to eat for four hours. Taking my tray from the grouchy woman serving the food, I quickly noticed my Kurt sitting at a table apart from the rest.

"So, how's your first day been?" he asked the moment I was within earshot.

I proceeded to give him the rundown of my day so far, and I found that Kurt wasn't even perturbed when I told him of the guy who tried to steal my book in first period.

"A lot ov people here are like that," he said sadly. "Zey consider us inferior to zem or fear us because of our abilities. Most ignore us, some tease us, and a few go out of zeir way to make us miserable."

"Then why come?" I asked.

"It's the law. And ze Professor refuses to pull us out."

I looked around at the empty table. "Where's Kitty? And Bobby? And everyone else?"

"They're around. I'm usually the only von who sits here. And since we're alone…" Kurt's face turned red again and he suddenly became self-conscious. "Vould you like to….go on a date….vith me? I've been vanting to ask you, but I thought you'd need some time to adjust first…"

"Is that why you were talking about dates at breakfast?"

"Yes….."

"Okay." I said a little too quickly.

His face lit up like a light bulb. "Really? Great! I vas thinking ve could go see that new Sherlock Holmes movie. Is that okay? If you vant to see something else…"

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what a movie was, let alone who this Sherlock Holmes guy was supposed to be. "Let's see the one you suggested," I said, with absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

"Leave at seven?"

"Seven."

It was hard for me to concentrate in my English class after lunch. For some reason, the upcoming "date" with Kurt tended to dominate my thoughts. Why was I so excited? I still had no idea what to expect! I won' t deny that I was relieved to hear the dismissal bell, and when I walked out of the building, Logan was waiting in the van.

Kurt looked like he might cry. "Not again."

After the harrowing ride back to the institute, Logan took me aside and said, "Tell me 'bout yer day."

"Why? Is this an interrogation?"

"No," Logan replied, as if abhorred by the thought. "I jus' wanna make sure you're doin' okay."

"Okay, let's see…" I thought for a moment. "I went to History class, read about Julius Caesar, and almost killed a guy who tried to take my book away. I didn't like Biology much. After that Iwent to Math and ate lunch, where Kurt asked me out on a date-"

Logan stared. "Really? The elf asked you out?"

"Mm-hm. So can I go?" I was planning on going whether or not he gave his permission, but Logan didn't need to know that.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But ya better back by ten or I'll ban ya from the Danger Room fer good. It's a school night."

Hearing him sounding so paternal was…odd, to say the least. It didn't seem to fit him somehow.

Kurt, true to his word, was ready by seven. He even talked the Professor into letting him borrow one of the cars (which, knowing the telepath, was a feat in and of itself). Grinning as he descended the staircase, he was suddenly pulled aside by Logan, who I overheard muttering in Kurt's ear, "Bring her back safe and sound by ten or I'll cut ya up into little pieces and roast you on the grill outside." Nodding nervously at him, Kurt approached me with a smile bigger than any I had yet seen.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

_No,_ thought my brain. "Yes," said my mouth.

"Zen off we go."

And so I walked out the door, not knowing what to expect on my very first date.


	5. Feelings

Laura's Journal

An X-men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own X-Men.

Chapter Five

Kurt brought the convertible to a stop as he entered the theatre parking lot. After locking the doors, he stepped out and opened the door for me. Why would he do that? I was perfectly capable of getting out of the car myself. As I walked toward the entrance, Kurt stopped me.

"Ve have to buy tickets for ze movie first," he said.

"Why?"

"Because zat is how ze theatre makes money. It's against the rules to just valk in without paying."

I suddenly felt guilty. "Kurt..um…I don't have any money on me."

He laughed. "Don't vorry, I'm buying. Ze dude alvays buys on a date."

"Is another one of those 'social rules' you were talking about on the way here?"

"Now you're catching on, _fraulein_."

Turning to the receptionist, Kurt said, "Two for Sherlock Holmes, please."

"That'll be twenty five bucks," the woman growled from underneath her beehive hairdo.

Opening his wallet, Kurt handed her the money, and received two slips of paper (the tickets, I assumed).

"So we can go inside, now?" I asked.

"Yup. I think you vill like zis movie; it's got explosions and fights and all that kind ov stuff," he said.

I smiled slightly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. (If only I'd known then how wonderful that "date" was going to be…..)

Kurt and I turned the corner and entered the theatre where the movie was supposed to be. I immediately felt uncomfortable. The place was dimly lit, and there seemed to be very few others there. It was the perfect place for an ambush. I sat down next to Kurt my heightened senses on red alert, and I almost attacked when the lights began to dim.

"Vat's wrong? You don't need to be so jumpy," Kurt said to me with a worried look on his face.

"The lights are going out. That means we're about to be attacked," I replied seriously.

Kurt sighed. "No von's attacking. Ze lights are simply being turned off so ve can see ze movie better."

I suddenly felt like an idiot. "Oh."

"Shh. Ze movie is starting," he whispered.

_Later…_

"Why did they stop?" I said angrily as I got into the car. "Holmes needs help if he's going to defeat Moriarty! We've got to find him!"

Kurt put the keys into the ignition and snickered. "_Fraulein_, ze movie vasn't _real._ It vas a story brought to life to entertain others. And zat vasn't Sherlock Holmes. He vas an actor who played ze _role_ of Holmes. Holmes himself isn't even a real person; he's a character in several vamous mystery novels. _And_ ze movie is set in Victorian England, over a hundred years ago! Even if Holmes _vas_ real, he'd be long gone now."

I was crestfallen. "So, it was all fake?"

"Maybe, but it's still fun to watch, Ja?"

I had to admit Kurt had a point as he pulled over into a quiet spot by the side of the road, on a cliff overlooking the city. It was quite a view; Bayville sprawled out beneath us, and I could even see the Institute from up there.

"You like it? It's my secret spot I like to come up here to think sometimes," Kurt's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"It's certainly a sight," I replied.

I suddenly noticed that Kurt had walked up very close to me with his image inducer off. I dimly registered how well-toned and fit he was as he gently turned my head towards him, so he could look me in the eye. I should have resisted, but my body seemed to have taken on the consistency of clay. Before I knew what happened, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against mine.

I felt like I was being drugged, but the sensation wasn't altogether unpleasant. My head swam, my body filled with pleasant fire, and all I could think about was his body pressed against mine. I felt as if my indestructible adamantium bones were melting, and found myself hoping that the…whatever it was…would never end.

He suddenly broke away, his face a mask of regret. "I-I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done zat-" His sentence was broken off when I pulled his face toward mine again and…kissed him, that was the word. His surprise immediately faded away as he put furry his arms around me as I melted against him, my arms wrapping instinctively around his neck. When I realized I needed to breathe, I pulled away, smiling genuinely for the first time in many years.

"So vat now?" he asked.

I kept smiling. "I think I'd like to do this again sometime."


	6. Enter the Brotherhood

Laura's Journal

An X-Men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own X-Men. (*Sob*)

Chapter Six

The moment I stepped out of my bedroom on the morning after my date with Kurt, Kitty and Rogue were on me like a pack of piranha.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Kitty eagerly.

"Give us the dirty details, girl," added Rogue.

I thought for a moment. "Well, first we saw a movie called 'Sherlock Holmes', and then Kurt took me to his secret spot on a cliff overlooking the city-"

Kitty cut me off. "Oh, my God! That is so romantic!! So what happened next?"

I blushed furiously. "Nothing."

Rogue smiled smugly. "You're lyin'."

Kitty's eyes grew wide. "Did you _kiss_ him?"

"No!"

"You totally kissed him, didn't you?" Kitty said more as a statement of fact than a question. "Well, to be perfectly honest, we were all wondering when you two would get around to it."

I was mortified. _"What?!"_

Rogue laughed. "It was obvious to everyone that you two were crushin' pretty hard on each other. Everyone 'cept you, that is. So, is 'e a good kisser?"

In keeping with my usual run of luck, it was at that moment that Logan stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from the shower.

"Oh, God, I need a beer," he mumbled in a voice sounding almost like a sob. Breathing heavily, he hurried down the hall as if pursued by the Furies.

"What's gotten into him?" asked Kitty.

"Ol' Logan just don't wanna see 'is li'l girl grow up," snickered Rogue. "Let's get some breakfast."

I made an unconscious decision to sit next to Kurt at the table. We both blushed as our eyes met.

As he passed me a plate piled high with pancakes, Kurt looked around quizzically. "Vhere's Logan?"

"Oh, he's drinking himself blind 'cause he knows that you two, like, made out last night," replied Kitty casually.

The blood seemed to drain from Kurt's face. _"He knows?"_ he whispered, genuinely terrified.

"Mm-hm."

"He's going to _kill _me!"

"Probably."

Kurt glared at her. "You're not helping."

"Don't worry," I said in a voice low enough for only him to hear. "He'll get over it." I did my best to smile reassuringly.

"So, vat's on your schedule for today?" he asked.

"We have to go to school, don't we?"

Kurt laughed, something I'd grown fond of hearing. "Ov course not, today is Saturday! Ve don't have school on ze veekends!"

"Um… Well, I think I need to talk to Logan."

Rogue snickered. "So he won't dismember Kurt?"

I frowned. "No, so he doesn't drink himself to death." Excusing myself (yet _another_ one of those stupid "etiquette" rules), I went off to find him.

I finally located Logan in the garage where the Professor keeps all his vehicles. He was sitting on top of a large toolbox, surrounded by a small graveyard of crushed beer cans. He was leaning against Cyclops' red convertible, snoring loudly in a drunken stupor. Seeing him in such a state, I suddenly got an idea for a little payback. Picking up a large bucket in a corner, I filled it with leftover ice and water out of the cooler Logan used to hide his so-called "secret stash" (as if we didn't all know he kept beer in various locations around the Institute). Slinging the bucket, I sent the frigid liquid splashing over him.

He awakened with a roar and a start, his claws automatically appearing out of his hands. Then he saw me holding the bucket.

"WHAT THE HELL, KID?" he shouted.

I smiled sweetly. _How did Bobby say it? Payback is a bitch._

Grumbling and shaking off the remnants of what appeared to have been a monstrous hangover, Logan shook himself off like a dog and glared sourly at me. "Yeah? What is it?"

"You're not going to come after Kurt, are you? Because if you do, you'll have to come after me as well, 'cause I kissed him right back," I said boldly.

The look on Wolverine's face was downright depressing. "I just hate t'see ya grow up when I barely got to know ya as a child," he said. "I know it's gotta happen, but some part o' me don't wanna let ya go, kid. An' then findin' out you an' Kurt were….ya know." He looked away as I caught a glimpse of something sliding down his cheek.

Holy crap.

For him, laughing had seemed improbable. But I didn't think Logan was even _capable_ of crying. The very idea of it seemed…ridiculous.

Getting over my shock, I found I was touched by his concern. _He cares about me more than he lets on,_ I thought to myself.

"Don't worry, Dad. I promise I'll be careful," I said, shocked at myself before I had even finished speaking. I had never thought of him as my father or "Dad" before, except in a sarcastic sense. Usually he was just "Logan" or "Wolverine".

A father. I had a father. It took a minute to sink in.

That did it. Logan started to cry freely now. Desiring to save what was left of his dignity, I went over and hugged him fondly, like I'd seen in the movie last night.

Suddenly, I felt like I was in a vise. I imagined myself as one of those empty milk cartons that you crush in your fist when you're done with them. Two big, meaty arms had me in a death grip, and I realized that Logan was_ hugging _me. Though I appreciated the gesture, I was intent on keeping my lungs intact.

"Logan?" I gasped.

"What?"

"Cant…breathe.." My face began to turn purple.

"Sorry," he said as he let go. See? There's _another_ thing I never thought I'd see Logan do: apologize.

As I breathed deeply, Logan composed himself. "Don' do anythin' ya might regret with 'im, Laura," he said seriously.

"Like what?" I asked.

He suddenly became interested on a grease stain on the floor. "Nothin'. Don' worry about it."

As I moved toward the door, Logan stopped me. "By the way, Laura..You didn' see anythin' got it?"

I smiled. Dad, it seemed, wanted to maintain his image. "Got it."

After all the morning's drama, I decided to go for a walk to clear my head and relax. I didn't tell anyone where I was going, because I needed some time to myself to think some things through. Like where Kurt and I were headed in our "relationship", for one. With no particular destination in mind, I snuck out the back door of the Institute and headed south through the deep forests that bordered the Professor's estate. Occupied as I was with thoughts of Kurt, I didn't smell the white-and-blue blur that knocked me off my feet and face-first into a tree.

_That _got me angry. This was the second time in a week that someone had caught me off guard, for Pete's sake. Disgraceful! Ignoring the burning pain from my damaged nose, I whirled around, claws unsheathed-

And was blocked by an enormous stomach. Two fists the size of hams grabbed me and began to squeeze. I reacted instantly, deploying the claws in my feet and thrusting upwards into his forearm. The pressure promptly vanished. Landing feet first, I found myself surrounded by what I assumed were mutants, but not any I had seen at Xavier's. Then I remembered. The Professor had mentioned them in passing once, a "Brotherhood of Mutants", who's ideology was the opposite of his own. While Xavier worked for peace between mutants and humans, the Brotherhood was dedicated to starting a war between them, and in winning that war they hoped restore mutants to their "rightful place" as rulers of Earth, with humans to serve them.

The blur came stopped in front of me, revealing a guy about my age with white hair in a white-and-blue jumpsuit: Pietro Maximoff, alias Quicksilver, his ability was super-speed. The giant that I'd stabbed, I figured, was Fred Dukes, aka The Blob, gifted with superhuman endurance and strength. I identified the skinny guy with pale skin and green eyes, clad in green tights, as Todd Tolansky, alias Toad, who had extreme agility and a long, prehensile tongue (ew). That meant the last one, a tall young man with dark brown hair, had to be Lance Alvers, or Avalanche, who could generate seismic waves from his hands. When I realized that I was outnumbered and outflanked, my mind raced into overdrive to formulate a plan. Though even the thought felt sour, I wasn't sure if I could take them all on by myself. I decided that the best course of action would be to generate some sort of distraction, then try to escape and call the others for back-up.

"Well, well, well, lookit the newest X-Geek, fellas. Looks like she didn't notice us following her," said Toad snidely.

"Yeah," said Blob menacingly as he clutched his injured arm. "This is our turf, and we don't take kindly to visitors."

"Papers, please," added Quicksilver with a grin.

"Uh, oh, guys. She seems a little _shaken up_!" snarled Avalanche as his eyes rolled back in his head and the ground began to quake. I lost my footing as Quicksilver delivered a punch to my jaw. It hurt, but it hurt him more, I noticed smugly.

"Ow! Ooh! Owch!" the speedster cried as he performed an agonized dance, clutching his hand. "Her bones are _hard_!"

Blob grinned viciously. "Maybe we should find out what it takes to break them! C'mere!" he laughed as he lunged toward me. At that point, my temper snapped.

My voice was hard as flint. _"Enough."_

I grabbed a hold of Toad's tongue and pulled it like a string of taffy. He flew toward me, but his progress was halted when my bare fist hit his face with a crunch and a clang. With his nose broken in at least three places, Toad staggered and collapsed. Blob, seeing his comrade in such a state, charged towards me like a rampaging rhinoceros.

_Idiot, _I thought contemptuously as I neatly sidestepped out of his path. Instead of hitting me, Blob ran straight into Quicksilver, who'd been attacking me from behind. The sound of their heads colliding reminded me of coconuts, and Blob went down in an unconscious heap.

Unfortunately, he landed right on top of Quicksilver. I could hear several of his bones crack under Blob's massive weight. It was like something straight out of that "Looney Tunes" show that Kitty and I watched once.

Avalanche, seeing the rest of the Brotherhood fall, took a pellet from his belt and snarled, "This isn't over, X-Freak! You'll get yours!"

As the pellet made contact with the ground, the whole area was suffused with smoke. I braced myself, expecting a sneak attack , but none came.

When the air cleared a few seconds later, the Brotherhood was gone. The entire fight had lasted less than five minutes.

I mentally chided myself for my lack of confidence. _They weren't so tough, after all. No wonder everyone else at the Institute thinks so lowly of their fighting skills. A two-year-old with a _butter knife_ could have beaten them._

Seeing no reason to take chances, I decided to trek back to the Institute before I was ambushed. _Again._

Dad (I no longer thought of him as Logan since our conversation in the garage) couldn't help smiling proudly when I related the incident to the Professor and the senior X-Men.

"Took down the Brotherhood all by yerself, did ya? That's my girl!" he said as he ruffled my hair fondly. I smiled, pleased with his praise.

The Professor, however, was less enthusiastic. "While defending yourself was justified, I think the force you used in defeating the Brotherhood was unnecessary. You need to learn self-control, Laura," he said sternly.

"Aw, lighten up, Chuck. They asked for it!" Dad growled.

Xavier glanced at him as he moved his wheelchair from behind his desk. "I think that, to help Laura learn to restrain her natural tendency towards violence, you should devise some special exercises for her. You're not being punished, Laura," he said gently as he noticed the shameful look on my face. "We should have addressed this when you first came. We simply need to find another outlet for your stress and anger other than fighting."

Logan stared at him.

"I majored in Psychology, all right?" the Professor said irritably. "In the meantime, Laura, I suggest you go enjoy your weekend."

"Besides," he added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Kurt's been missing you terribly."

I don't think I've ever left a room so fast.

I also didn't know that someone was watching us through the large bay window in the Professor's office………

By early afternoon, I was starting to get lonely. I hadn't seen Kurt all day, and no one seemed to know his whereabouts; almost everyone assumed that he was at the mall or something. _Where is he?_ I thought as I stepped outside onto the patio. _He's probably just playing hide-and---_

Suddenly, my breath caught in my throat. I felt like my insides had turned to ice.

I had found Kurt's holowatch, pinned to a tree in the backyard with a green shuriken, which bore an insignia that I had come to hate with every ounce of my being.

_Oh, my God._

HYDRA had taken Kurt.

A/N: Hey, guys, I'm back! I said I would be, didn't I? I thought that the story just _had_ to have a scene where the Brotherhood got a major beat-down. I'd also like to thank those of you who have reviewed my story so far: cheerpandagal, midnight-lady123123, KityPryde, sketzocase, and 3Blue3Moon3. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful reviews! Once again, if any of you have ideas or constructive criticism, _please let me know!_ I would LOVE to hear your opinions on how I can make my story better! Thanks to all of you who took the time to read this! On a final note, I may need a few more days to get the rest of the story done. So hang in there! ^^

Until the next chapter, my friends.

-Quill N. Inque


	7. Hail Hydra!

Laura's Journal

An X-Men Evolution Fanfic by Quill N. Inque

I do not own X-Men.

Chapter Seven

Shortly afterward, the other X-Men and I had gathered in the Danger Room, aroused by my panicked cries to the emergency at hand.

"You're sure?" asked Cyclops.

I struggled to compose myself. "Yes. No other organization bears that insignia."

"Like, how are we going to find Kurt? His holowatch had a GPS, but now that he doesn't have it with him…." Kitty's voice broke.

"Yeah, well, Hydra didn' figger on ol' Cerebro, did they?" said Dad with his usual gruffness.

"Indeed," said the Professor. "Nightcrawler will be relatively easy to track down. But getting him back will be another task entirely. Logan?"

With a wave of his hand, Logan activated a plasma screen on the wall. "I called in a coupla favors from Fury and SHIELD. Usin' Cerebro, we've pinpointed the HYDRA base where Kurt's bein' held, in the most remote part o' the Rocky Mountains. Knowin' HYDRA, the base'll probably be heavily guarded. So, Laura, yer job'll be to get Kurt outta there while the rest of us keep 'em busy."

"Right."

"X-Men, move out!"

Aboard the X-Jet, I couldn't keep my mind from straying to Kurt. What was HYDRA doing to him? He didn't have a healing factor like me. Would he still be breathing by the time I got there? I choked back a sob. HYDRA only abducted him because they knew he was close to me. It was likely that we were walking into a trap.

I didn't care.

Come hell or high water, I _would_ rescue Kurt, even if I didn't make it myself.

I was jarred out of my thoughts as the plane began to shake and roll.

"Flak!" yelled Dad. "Looks like they were expectin' us! Hang on!" Flipping open a protective glass case to reveal a red button emblazoned with a black skull, he grinned wolfishly.

"I've been wantin' to press this button fer years."

Suddenly, the X-Jet's entire weapons arsenal seemed to fire at once. Miniature rockets, Stinger missiles, and napalm bombs left their compartments with an enormous _WHOOSH_. Pieces of steel, concrete, and human detritus flew everywhere as the surviving HYDRA commandos fled for cover. Logan landed the jet roughly, and charged down the gangplank with his claws unsheathed, his eyes widening in berserk fury.

"HYDRA scum! Murderous filth! DIE!"

He seemed to be everywhere, drawing upon decades of combat to decimate the soldiers who tried to stop him. I watched with horror as Dad vanished, only to be replaced by a wrathful killing machine. The commandoes went down like ninepins before his onslaught, many missing arms, limbs and heads. _Oh, man, the Professor is NOT gonna like this,_ I thought as the carnage unfolded. _He's _always_ telling us not to use lethal force…Xavier's gonna read Dad the riot act when we get back. _If _we get back…._

Kitty jolted me out of my morbid fascination. "Like, you have a mission to complete! Go!"

"Right!"

I surreptitiously snuck into the entrance while combat raged around me, using every ounce of my stealth training to avoid infrared beams and security cameras. How ironic that HYDRA's training was being used to break into one of its own facilities. I think that's what Beast once called, "poetic justice".

Rounding the corner, I narrowly avoided bumping into a squadron of HYDRA soldiers as the rushed outside to their inevitable evisceration. I felt a bead of sweat course down the side of my head. _That was close._

I waited until they passed, and raced down the hall to what the scientists had euphemistically called the "research lab". I sliced through the door as if it were made of cardboard-

And found myself surrounded by over three dozen HYDRA troops, each holding a gun to Kurt's bruised and bloodied head.

"That's enough."

_That voice….._

Madame Hydra smiled cordially at me as she stepped through the door.

"Welcome back, X23."

I stared at her in disbelief. There was no way she could have survived the airship explosion last year. It wasn't possible. Madam Hydra, my creator, my tormentor, the one who had tortured and twisted me for her own amusement, was _alive._

And she had used Kurt to get to me.

Super-bitch smiled at me again. "I knew you'd come; you're getting _way_ too predictable. You just couldn't stop yourself from trying to rescue your boyfriend over there. Such loyalty, love and devotion….God, you make me want to _puke_!" she spat. "Now here are your options. You come back to HYDRA…." She took a pistol from her belt. "Or he _dies_."

My mind raced. Knowing the Madame, the gun probably wasn't loaded. She was, after all, a master at deception. But whether the gun was loaded or not, I had no doubt that she'd kill Kurt with a grin on her face if I refused. I couldn't see a way out of this one.

Unless…

Unless I deceived the deceiver. If I pretended to go along with her, I there was a chance I could double-cross her and get Kurt out of here before she even knew what happened. It was a huge risk, to be sure. If Madame Hydra figured out what I was planning, I'd end up as HYDRA's lab rat again. Or she might kill Kurt anyway. And I'd _still_ wind up as a lab rat.

But Kurt was worth it. And infinitely more.

I put an expression of rage and defeat on my face and held up my hands. My voice shook with faux rage and helplessness. "Fine."

"L-Laura…No…" muttered Kurt before a guard clubbed him back into unconsciousness.

Madame Hydra nodded. "An excellent choice, X23. Now, your first task-"

"Wait a minute. We had a deal. Kurt goes free," I said, successfully keeping the panic from my voice.

"Hmm…Yes, I suppose we did. Release him," she ordered. The guards complied promptly and Kurt vanished in a puff of smoke.

"You see? Madame Hydra always keeps her word," the villainess said.

I smiled at her. "Too bad I can't say the same."

Moving even before I was done speaking, I knocked out the guard closest to me and threw his body into three others. Madame Hydra fled instantly like the spineless coward she was, and I was surrounded by between thirty and forty HYDRA troopers. It was hardly fair. To them, that is….

Six minutes later, I was homing in on Madame Hydra's scent, a wolf tracking its wounded prey. It was so easy. The stench of her fear was like a homing signal, and I found her in the control room as she was about to activate the base's self-destruct sequence. She spoke without turning.

"Is my transport ready?" she asked imperiously, apparently thinking I was a guard.

"Yes. It's ready to take you straight to hell," I snarled as I unsheathed my claws.

She whirled around, her face a mask of terror.

"How does it feel, _Madame_, to be threatened without your guards and robots to protect you? What's it like, I wonder, feeling fear for the first time?" I said almost casually as she scrambled in vain to get away.

My eyes hardened and my voice rang out like a hammer striking an anvil. "You created me. Now you will reap what you have sown."

The pneumatic doors closed with a hiss as I lunged towards her.

"What took ya so long, kid?" Dad asked, apparently none the worse for wear despite his ordeal. I stared at him for a moment, his ragged uniform spattered with blood.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know what yer thinkin'. An' I don' regret it one bit. It's the kind of end people like that deserve. Chuck'll probably have a few words t'say to me, though."

"Is he gonna make you leave?" I asked.

Dad grinned. "Nah. I think I'll be here for a while, yet."

"Is Kurt okay?"

He pointed. "Ask 'im yerself."

It was true. Though he was bruised and battered, Kurt was by now fully conscious. His face lit up like fireworks when he saw me, and I was so glad to see him alive, I kissed him right then and there.

And I didn't give a damn who saw me.

Back at the Institute, I was helping to bandage Kurt's wounds while the Professor had a "chat" with Dad.

I spoke as I gently bandaged his bruised torso. "I thought I was going to lose you."

Kurt flashed that smile that I had grown to love. "Vhat, did you think you'd be rid ov me zat easily? It'll take more than an organization of super-terrorists to bring down Kurt Wagner!"

"But more importantly, Laura, you can move on now. Hydra's gone for good, and you have your whole life ahead ov you," he said seriously.

"I know," I told him as I held his hand. "I just hope that, whatever the future brings, you're there to share it with me."

Kurt kissed me gently. "I vouldn't have it any other vay."

My name is Laura Logan. Since coming to live at the Xavier Institute, my whole world has changed. I've fallen in love and gained a father, things I never even dreamed of having. At last, I can live without looking over my shoulder. At last, I have come home.

And you know what?

I think I'm gonna like it here.

-END-

A/N: So, there you have it! The epic story of how one girl overcame the odds and fulfilled her destiny! I had so much fun writing this!!! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story so far: KityPryde, Jessie07, cheerpandagal, midnight-lady123123, sketzocase, and 3Blue3Moon3. I am so grateful for your wonderful reviews! Let me reiterate: If you have any ideas or constructive criticism on how I can make my story better, _PLEASE LET ME KNOW!_ I would love to hear your suggestions! I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed creating it! As it happens, I already have an idea for a Spectacular Spider-Man story, so keep an eye out….I'm not done writing yet, not by a long shot! ^^

Hope to see y'all again real soon!

-Quill N. Inque


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